Where the Heart Is

During my Journalism course with the ICS (International Correspondence School) in 2000-2001 by mail, my tutor asked me this: How does investigative news differ from interpretive news? Upon reading the question, I replied: For investigative news - a reporter should first investigate the event - when, where, why and how it happened before writing it down into news. It takes time to do that. For the interpretive news, I said: a reporter should also investigate the event too and interpret it before writing his news. It also consumes much time. I added saying, that a reporter should go out, do his research before he writes the news story either it is investigative news or an interpretive news.

Magazines, Journalism - Photo Credits Pixabay

​If you were the newspaper reporter and you were asked to write both the investigative news story about children (kidnap for ransom) and interpretive news story about (the effects of a new taxation law) by your newspaper editor and he wanted them to be published the next two business day - what would you do? And how you can start writing them for the deadline? For the seasoned reporter, those assignments are just chicken as he has many connections to contact, but for a newly trained reporter, he might scream and shout loud to his editor - showing his objection!

I wanted to reply to his comments though I did not pursue because I was afraid he might change his mind so I left him, walked inside the Philippine Embassy's premises without looking back, ignoring his unexpected reactions.